


And the Spring Comes Slowly

by Mara



Category: Bokutachi No Kougen Hoteru
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-30
Updated: 2016-03-30
Packaged: 2018-05-30 01:31:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6403204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mara/pseuds/Mara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryuuya wanted to shake Aizawa's shoulders until he reacted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And the Spring Comes Slowly

Ryuuya didn't know why he expected everything to change. As if a few emotional events overcome would mean Aizawa would suddenly turn into a happy, laughing young man.

Not really seeing the expense report on his computer monitor, Ryuuya sighed and clicked the up and down arrow keys a few times randomly. 

It was completely unreasonable of him to expect Aizawa to make such a rapid and extreme change. Unquestionably unreasonable. And yet every time Aizawa met him with that blank stare, Ryuuya wanted to grab him and shake his shoulders until he reacted.

He wasn't being fair. Aizawa was really trying. He stood straighter and walked taller. He helped out in the kitchen more often and would frequently utter _entire sentences_ without any coercion, including suggestions on how to improve their service. He even spoke to customers sometimes! There were rumors that he'd smiled on at least two occasions.

But—and here was the crux of it— Aizawa didn't speak to _him_ unless he absolutely had to. Ryuuya dropped his hands from the keyboard and put his head down on the desk with a satisfying thunk. What exactly had he expected?

When he'd come to the hotel, he'd wanted to bring back its former glory for his mentor's sake. And he'd wanted to explain things to his mentor's grandson. That's all. He'd wanted the chance to make things right and make sure Aizawa Ayumu understood why his grandfather had left.

Somewhere along the line that second item changed to "make Aizawa Ayumu happy." Or maybe it was "make Aizawa Ayumu smile." Or both.

It was just possible, Ryuuya thought, that he might have lost his mind somewhere along the line. He turned his head slightly to look out the window.

Through the streaked glass and the slanting sunlight, Aizawa could be clearly seen in that upper hallway, looking down at him with a pile of towels in his arms and a confused look on his face. Ryuuya sat up hastily, head whipping back to look at the computer, his face feeling warm.

This entire situation was getting out of hand. He needed to focus on work, of which there was plenty. Nodding firmly, Ryuuya pretended he couldn't still feel Aizawa's eyes on him and he clicked on Outlook to e-mail some potential suppliers.

Yes, focusing on work was the answer to his distracted mind.

* * *

So why, Ryuuya wondered with another sigh, did he find himself dithering outside the kitchen later that night, straining his ears to hear the subtle clink of the strainer or the lid resting on the teacup? If he had so much free time and energy, he should head back to his office.

Ryuuya took a step closer to the doorway and held his breath. There…there was the clink and just that small sound made his pulse skyrocket. Breathing carefully, he strolled in as if he'd intended to be there all along.

Aizawa didn't look up from his work, pouring a precise amount of water into the cup. Ryuuya couldn't quite decide what to do, so he leaned against the counter and just watched, finding himself fascinated by the process. Clearly Aizawa had put even more energy and thought into this than he'd previously realized. 

(Previous meetings in the kitchen had been…fraught. He hadn't been able to focus on the tea.)

It took Ryuuya a moment to notice the cup that was being held out to him and realize he was supposed to take it. A quick glance told him Aizawa wasn't quite looking at him but he clearly intended him to drink the tea.

So he did. And it was delicious.

"Wonderful," he said, breaking the near silence.

Aizawa's head ducked, but from what Ryuuya could see, he looked pleased. "Thank you," he whispered after a moment.

"Are you…" Ryuuya wasn't even sure what he wanted to ask.

Aizawa lifted his head and almost looked him in the eyes.

"Are you angry with me?"

Blinking several times in succession, Aizawa just stared at him.

"Never mind. Sorry to bother you." Ryuuya put the cup down with a clink and turned.

"No."

Ryuuya stopped, holding very still as he looked at the doorway in front of him.

"Not angry."

Ryuuya waited for a very long moment before he realized nothing else was forthcoming. He turned to find Aizawa staring down at the prepared tea. "Then…?" Ryuuya asked.

"I don't know…how to do this." The words were very soft.

Breathing shallowly, afraid of missing something, Ryuuya held his position. "How to do what?" He tried to pitch his voice similarly.

"My grandfather wanted me to meet you."

For an instant, the world grayed out and Ryuuya leaned on the refrigerator.

"He sent a letter." 

"Ah."

Aizawa started to stuff the tea boxes into his bag, looking very much like the unhappy young man he'd been when Ryuuya arrived at the hotel. "Don't go," Ryuuya said without thinking.

Aizawa paused, looking frozen in place.

Swallowing, Ryuuya took a moment to think this time. "What don't you know how to do?"

No response. There was a rattle and Ryuuya realized the other man's hands were shaking and bumping the china and boxes of tea. "Are you okay?" Stepping forward, he touched Aizawa's arm.

In a flash, Aizawa had pushed him away, in a moment reminiscent of the night Ryuuya had pushed him emotionally and gotten a burned hand for his actions. At least this time he missed the teapot, he thought with slightly morbid amusement as he pushed himself off the counter he'd bumped into and looked into Aizawa's wide and liquid eyes.

"Sorry," Aizawa mumbled, trying to dash past him.

He stepped in front of the younger man, blocking his path. "Aizawa! I'm not angry."

Shaking his head wildly, Aizawa tried to dodge, but failed as Ryuuya grabbed his thin shoulders and held on.

"What don't you know how to do?" Ryuuya asked again.

For a long moment, it looked like Aizawa wouldn't answer, but he finally stood straight, pulling out of Ryuuya's arms, looking like a man walking to his doom. "Have a friend," he said quietly.

Ryuuya stared at him. Was he joking? No, of course he wasn't joking. It wasn't clear that the man had made a joke in the last decade. "I'm not sure how to be your friend either," he said slowly. "But I'd like to try."

More confused blinking ensued.

"Is that okay?"

A slow nod and then…and then it happened. Like the sun breaking through the clouds, Aizawa smiled. It was quite possibly the most beautiful thing Ryuuya had ever seen and he couldn't help smiling in response.

He still wasn't sure what he was doing, but they had all the time in the world to figure it out, right? And as long as Aizawa kept smiling at him like that, anything seemed possible.

\--end--


End file.
